Question about the Annual Flight Physical

[rhorton1]

So I have some great news (for me!).... I passed my initial flight physical at Miramar earlier this week. That was the biggest hurdle for me to jump over regarding getting into the USMC OCS program. Now I can get an air contract and be guaranteed a trip to Pensacola for flight school! I just need to get accepted to OCS and then kick butt while I'm there. Or so I think....

I have a minor color vision problem. I'm by no means colorblind, but you might call me color vision deficient. I failed the FALANT test at Miramar twice when initially trying to complete my flight physical. I've known since I was a kid that I can't pass the Ishihara Plate Test, but I can see red and green without problem in the real wold. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed when the Corpsman told me to go kick rocks. My dad (a former Navy pilot) told me to go get it checked out by a FAA approved doc, just to exhaust all my options. I went to take the FALANT with the Aviation Medical Examiner, and low and behold, passed the test without problem! The AME filled out an official US Government form that said I passed the FALANT. I took this back to Miramar and they accepted it as proof that I have normal color vision. The flight surgeon barely took a second look at it during my flight physical!

I don't know why I was able to pass the FALANT with the civilian AME and not at Miramar.... Maybe the lighting was different, or maybe I sat a little closer to the FALANT machine. Maybe the lady giving the test just put me at ease! But I passed 9 out of 9 on the first try (My score at Miramar was only 5 out of 9).

So here is my question.... If the same situation arises during my next flight physical, will I be able to do the same thing and get proof of passing the FALANT from a civilian AME? Or is the situation different once you are actually in the military? Once I'm commissioned, will I only be able to see the flight surgeon? Any light you can shed on the subject will be greatly appreciated!

 

[BACONATOR]

Good luck. I've heard of people failing the FALANT and MEPS not accepting any civilian tests. Per NAMI, I think they have to give you an alternate (like FALANT etc) but if you fail the alternate, nothing you can do will change their minds. If you got away with it, good for you. If you fail it again, it could bring up issues, since you'll have a record of failing it.

The only time it could ever really be waivered is if you're a fleet pilot with a history of passing color just fine and THEN fail it. Then they can waiver it. Not for applicants or FNGs.

 

[bunk22]

I'm not a flight doc and thus not an expert but it's my understanding that if you can't pass the FALANT, you're fucked. That's just the way it is. My best guess is why you didn't pass the FALANT at Miramar was nerves, you're nervous. If you can't pass it for your NAMI flight physical, you are going to have issues.

 

[sanders]

This is kinda related. My vision before PRK was about 20/80. At MEPS, I did the eye test and was told my vision was 20/300. I knew this was wrong and I assumed there must have been something wrong with the equipment used (it was one of those machines that uses mirrors or something to simulate looking at letters that are 20 feet away). I told them it was wrong and that I wanted to take the test again, but they would not let me. They gave me the option to go to a civilian place and get it tested again, which I did that same day (on the gov's dime). Everything ended up being fine.

So yes, there are some cases where you MAY be able to supplement your physical with documents from civilian doctors. Don't forget that this was MEPS, not a flight physical. And it was an issue of eyesight, not color vision.

 

[bunk22]

This is kinda related. My vision before PRK was about 20/80. At MEPS, I did the eye test and was told my vision was 20/300. I knew this was wrong and I assumed there must have been something wrong with the equipment used (it was one of those machines that uses mirrors or something to simulate looking at letters that are 20 feet away). I told them it was wrong and that I wanted to take the test again, but they would not let me. They gave me the option to go to a civilian place and get it tested again, which I did that same day (on the gov's dime). Everything ended up being fine.

So yes, there are some cases where you MAY be able to supplement your physical with documents from civilian doctors. Don't forget that this was MEPS, not a flight physical. And it was an issue of eyesight, not color vision.

NAMI....good luck with all that.

 

[rhorton1]

Thanks for the good info. Sounds like I'm not in the clear just yet.

Regarding the NAMI flight physical, what is that like? Is it more intense than the my initial flight physical at Miramar? The only issue I had with my initial flight physical was with the color vision. However, some of the stats on my other vital signs were coming up on borderline (high blood pressure and high inter-ocular pressure in my eyeballs). Will these be scrutinized more closely?

An interesting tidbit of information that I learned from the AME... All of the FALANT machines are pretty much the same, meaning that you will see the same combinations of colors from machine to machine. So if you can do well on one machine, you should be able to do well on them all.

As for the colorblind issue, I guess I should go get a book full of Ishihara Plates and start memorizing! :icon_tong The civilian AME will probably get another couple visits from me right before my NAMI physical so I can practice my FALANT.

 

[feddoc]

You can also make darn sure you are well hydrated and stay away from anything which produces carbon monoxide. Vision, particularly color vision, is very oxygen dependent. Stay away from the liquor too.

WRT your last question, I don't know for sure. I THINK you will be able to go through the same process again.